It’s great being a kid. The freedoms from responsibilities, the incredible hope for the future because it holds all kinds of promise, the naiveté of a child’s innocence. Some of my fondest moments happened when I was a child. I can honestly say that I had a delightful childhood. Full of mischief and wonder, surprises and adventure. I remember spending summers on my bike riding it all over town. Sometimes with my fishing pole, adhere to it on my way to Gray Lake to catch a few blue gills. Or to Bo Bo’s Ice Cream, for a blue thunder ice cream cone. If you never had a blue thunder, you have not lived. A blue colored ice cream tastes like superman ice cream with Pop Rocks candy all through the ice cream. I can still taste and feel it.
One memorable moment that happened in my childhood, I fell in love. Head over hee
ls, cannot get him out of my mind in love. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in Mr. Gauthier seventh grade social studies class. I had on a heather gray and white horizontal striped shirt, with three quarter length sleeves, and a pair of dark washed boot cut jeans, with a white leather belt. Until this day, I do not like social studies. As I am sitting there daydreaming there was a not at the door. Our assistant principal Mr. Meek enter the classroom with a boy behind him. He announced that we had a new student that he had just moved from North Carolina. His name was Tyler Grimm.
Tyler was beautiful. Even as a young girl I could recognized his beauty. He had curly dirty blonde hair, piercing cornflower blue eyes, and a dimple on his left cheek. He spoke with a slow southern accent, with great charm. Mr. Gauthier sat him at my table. The whole time he sat that there, I kept thinking about him, trying to stop myself from staring. My heart racing, my palms and underarms prickling with sweat. He said hi to me than sat down in the chair next to me. I quickly smiled then return to starting down at the blank paper in front of me.
Fast forward to our senior year in high school. Tyler is still beautiful, if anything puberty has made him even more attracted. He never lost his southern drawl it just became deeper and more resonating with age. I still get nervous but not as much as when he first arrived to our school. Over the years, we have become great friends. His older brother is one of my older brothers’ best friend. I fell in love with him when he walked into my seventh grade class and five years later my feelings have not changed.
It’s the end of the year and everyone is preparing for senior prom. I was asked by three people to go but I told each I would think about. I realized now I was hoping Tyler would ask me. I was sure that he really liked, you know, more than just friends. Sometimes when he thought I wasn’t looking I would catch him starting at me with a dopey look on his face. We both knew that this will be the last event, then its graduation, and everyone is off to their respected colleges and universities. Who knows if we will ever see each other again?
Two days before senior prom, I causally mention to Tyler after our track practice that I know which one of the guys I’m going to go to prom with. That after I changed clothes I will let him know. He gave me a look then ask me to wait until tonight to tell them. I ask him why; he just smiled and told he would come over tonight. I think he’s going to ask me to prom!
I was right, he asked me. Tyler and I went to our last prom together and then started dating. But broke up right before I left for college on the other side of the country. We still talk occasionally thanks to Facebook. He still the same Tyler I remember, my Tyler.